9th Ranked Lions Baseball Takes Series From Bulldogs

118
The 9th-ranked Bryan College baseball team followed their series-opener extra-innings win on Thursday with a split against the Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan University on Friday, claiming the significant Appalachian Athletic Conference series 2-1. (Photo:BryanAthletics)

Bryan gets Doubleheader Split against Tennessee Wesleyan

March 2018

ATHENS, Tenn. – The 9th-ranked Bryan College baseball team followed their series-opener extra-innings win on Thursday with a split against the Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan University on Friday, claiming the significant Appalachian Athletic Conference series 2-1. Game one of the twinbill went to the Lions 6-2 as Cody Young and Wade Weinburger provided major offensive performances to seal the deal. It looked like Bryan would capture the sweep in the nightcap as they fought their way to a 4-0 advantage in the fifth, but Tennessee Wesleyan pieced together their only scoring frame in the bottom of the fifth with a devastating six-spot. The late rally was good enough for the Bulldogs to hold on and avoid the sweep with a 6-4 final.

After the three-game series, Bryan improved to 11-1 in the AAC and 25-5 overall while Tennessee Wesleyan dropped their conference record to 7-5 and overall record to 17-14.

In the Lion’s attack on Thursday, it was Young and Weinburger who came through with a few clutch plays that ultimately decided the game. Once again, Tennessee Wesleyan struggled to handle the pair of Lions as Weinburger scored Rodney Tennie with his team-leading 10th homerun of the year in the top of the first of the opening game.

The 2-0 advantage continued through fourth inning before Bryan extended their lead. Fernando Garcia connected on a leadoff single to right and went on to take scoring position at third when Lake Burris doubled to left. Up next for the Lions was Trevor Behrent, who grabbed ahold of a pitch and sent it towering high into center for a sacrifice fly that scored Garcia and advanced Burris to third. Young had gone the distance in the series-opening contest with a two-run shot, scoring two of Bryan’s three runs, and the bat proved to still be hot for the Collierville, Tenn. native as he swatted his second two-run blast to put the Lions on top 5-0. The homer marked Young’s fifth on the year.

Tennessee Wesleyan finally broke their silence in the bottom of the fifth with a lone run on the board when they produced a leadoff triple before capitalizing on a wild pitch by Bryan. Luke Henderson, the Lion’s starting pitcher, remained poised and used three consecutive strikeouts to retire the Bulldogs before they could create another run.

In the top of the sixth, Bryan tacked on an insurance run when Garcia led off with a double before scoring on Jacob Justice’s RBI single sailed to right, helping the Lions claim a 6-1 edge. The only other run Tennessee Wesleyan could assemble came in the bottom of the stanza when a Bulldog sent a solo shot over the right field fence on the first pitch he saw, as Bryan went on to claim the 6-2 win.

Henderson was awarded the win after hurling the first five innings, improving to a perfect 7-0 on the year. During his time on the mound, he allowed just three hits and one run with no walks and seven strikeouts. Miguel Lopez relieved the next two frames and surrendered a trio of hits and one run. The next arm was Jesus Astudillo who threw the eighth inning and had a clean slate with one walk and one K. Brandon Marklund, who gave the Bulldogs trouble on Thursday, shoved again with a scoreless inning while yielding one strikeout.

Garcia led the Lion’s in the hits and runs columns with two apiece while also doubling. Weinburger and Young led the team with two RBI’s, respectively, as each Lion registered a homerun. Other players for Bryan to make the hit’s list with one were Burris with a double, Tennie, Justice, and Tyler Scott. Anthony Tejeda was the only Lion to steal a bag.

Game two’s 10 combined runs were scored in just two innings, while one inning was all it took for Tennessee Wesleyan to deal a dagger rally. Bryan was the first to answer when David Scoggins punched his seventh homerun of the season in leadoff fashion to begin the top of the third. After the next batter flied out, Tennie took his turn going the distance with homerun number three on the year. Back-to-back singles by Garcia and Burris that followed with a Behrent double capped the early 3-0 advantage for the Lions.

The rest of the game was decided in the fifth inning. Bryan increased the gap when Tennie reached base on a wild throw, advanced to second on Weinburger’s groundout, sped to third on a passed ball, and then crossed home plate on Garcia’s RBI single to right. Despite a four-run difference, the Lion’s effort up to that point wouldn’t suffice as the Bulldogs broke free for six runs in the bottom of the frame. Bryan allowed Tennessee Wesleyan a little room, and that was all that the home team needed as they rattled the Lions. Four singles, a passed ball, three walks, and a hit by pitch gave way to the barrage of runs that aided in the Bulldog’s escape of the sweep, outlasting the Lions 6-4.

The loss was given to Dalton Ross who lasted two outs in the latter part of the fifth. During his stint overseeing pitching duties, Tennessee Wesleyan amassed two hits and five runs while he walked one and struck out one. The loss was Ross’ first of the season, moving his record to an even 1-1. Arinson Martinez started for Bryan and maneuvered through the first 4.1 innings with six hits and four runs allowed, one being unearned, while walking one and whizzing five K’s. Grant Lang saw his first action of the season, tossing the closing 1.2 innings with just one hit and a pair of strikeouts.

At the plate, it was Garcia who went 3-for-4 for a team-high in hits and also posted one RBI, a run scored, and a double. Tennie led Bryan with a pair of runs scored and sent his lone hit over the fence. Scoggins had the only other bomb of the game, going 1-for-2 with a run scored and an RBI. Behrent smashed a double on his lone connection and had the Lion’s other RBI. Burris also had a hit in the outing. Garcia and Tennie swiped the only two stolen bases of the contest.

Bryan holds down the No. 1 spot in the conference standings but will take a break with two non-conference matchups before returning to AAC action. The Lions play host to Hiwassee College (Tenn.) on Tuesday, Mar. 27 in a single game at 6pm. The following day, Bryan hits the road for Martin Methodist College (Tenn.) where the Lions will face-off against the Southern States Athletic Conference challenger in a single game slated for 3pm.

- Advertisement -


Previous articleDramatic Change in Setting Tenn. Hunting and Fishing Seasons
Next articleSpecial Needs Softball League Forming

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here